A group of manufacturing researchers at the University of Southern California say they looked to the past for ways they could improve the speed and efficiency of additive manufacturing processes, and what they found was origami. They say the ancient art of paper folding is good for more than simply the artistic inspiration it provided -- it's also key to a method they say makes strong and less material-intensive objects which will take their place on the shop floor of the future. You can read the whole story here: http://3dprint.com/34440/origami-will-influence-am
Below is a photo of the origami method of Assembled Additive Manufacturing (AAM):